Focus of work
Towards Restoring a Caerleon Station (TRACS) is a campaign group that aims to gain community and political support for reopening a railway station in Caerleon. The station would be easily accessible to most of Caerleon’s population, with key benefits including:
- Providing access to the national rail network and promoting sustainable transport.
- Supporting heritage tourism by connecting visitors to Roman sites.
- Stimulating economic growth through increased foot traffic and business opportunities.
- Helping alleviate local traffic congestion and improving air quality.
Impact
Caerleon is a compact town, so it would be easy for people to walk or cycle to the station.
Congestion on local roads is severe, and a good local train service would help alleviate this,
especially as the local bus service is infrequent.
As well as serving a town of 8,000 people (up to 9,000 if housing is built on the hospital site),
the proposed station would provide a better and quicker journey to school for up to 500
students at Caerleon Comprehensive, only 400 metres distant. It would be even closer to the site of the Roman fortress of Isca Augusta, a key tourist destination in the area.
Newport City Council and Cadw (the Welsh Government’s historic environment service) are hoping to double the number of tourists visiting Caerleon from 60,000 to 120,000 per year, and rail could play a big part in carrying them, saving the local roads from increased congestion.